Continuous casting mold having a plurality of transverse cooling passages

ABSTRACT

A mould for use with a continuous casting machine comprises a body of thermally conductive material having an opening therethrough and the walls of the opening constitute the mould surface. The body is made up of a plurality of parts each of which provides part of the mould surface along the length of the opening and each part of the body has separate liquid cooling ducts or passages. The quantity of fluid passed for cooling purposes through the different parts of the body can be adjusted to give the required heat transfer conditions between the molten metal passed through the mould and the mould body.

United States Patent CONTINUOUS CASTING MOLD HAVING A PLURALITY or TRANSVERSE COOLING PAssAor-s 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

Int. Cl. 822d 11/00 Field of Search 164/82, 83,

Primary Examiner-R. Spencer Annear Attorney-Holcombe, Wetherill and Brisebois ABSTRACT: A mould for use with a continuous casting machine comprises a body of thermally conductive material having an opening therethrough and the walls of the opening constitute the mould surface. The body is made up of a plurality of parts each of which provides part of the mould surface along the length of the opening and each part of the body has separate liquid cooling ducts or passages. The quantity of fluid passed for cooling purposes through the different parts of the body can be adjusted to give the required heat transfer conditions between the molten metal passed through the mould and the mould body.

PATENTEUN 161971 3,620,295

SHEET 3 [IF 3 FIG. 6.

INVENTOR RJ". DAM

ATTORN CONTINUOUS CASTING MOLD HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE COOLING PASSAGES This invention relates to a mould suitable for use with a continuous casting machine. The mould is particularly suitable for continuous casting machines in which the casting is produced with its axis horizontal but the mould can also be used with a vertical continuous casting machine having a sealed pouring system. Continuous casting consists essentially of allowing molten metal, particularly steel, which is stored in a container in the form of a tundish to flow through an opening in a mould and for the metal to be cooled sufficiently in the mould for the casting leaving the mould to retain the cross-sectional shape of the mould surface which is defined by the wall or walls of the opening through the mould. It is necessary therefore for the mould to be cooled in order to extract sufficient heat from the molten metal to solidify it as it passes through the opening in the mould.

According to the present invention a mould suitable for use with a continuous casting machine comprises a body of thermally conductive material having a opening therethrough the wall(s) of which constitutes the mould surface, said body hav ing a plurality of parts each of which provides part of the mould surface along the length of the opening and each part of the body has separate means for receiving a liquid coolant.

Since each part of the body has separate means, conveniently in the form of passages, for receiving liquid coolant, the cooling of each part of the body need not be the same and the flow of coolant through the passages of each part of the body can be adjusted separately from that in the other parts of the body to bring about the required heat transfer conditions between the molten metal and the mould body.

Conveniently each part of the body has a plurality of passages for receiving coolant spaced apart along the length of the opening and each passage extends through the part of the body in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the opening. Each passage may comprise a plurality of interconnected straight bores in the part of the body.

Although the mould body may have more than two parts it is preferable for the body to have two parts which are similar. With this arrangement each part of the mould is preferably of rectangular form with one surface defining part of the openmg.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood it will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a mould body,

FIG. 2 is a part of an end elevation of the mould body,

FIG. 3 is a plan,

FIG. 4 is part of a sectional end elevation on the line B-B of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a part of a sectional end elevation on the line A-A of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 6 is a plan of a mould including the mould body illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5.

A mould suitable for use with a continuous casting machine comprises a body 1 of high purity copper, divided along its length into two parts 2 and 3 respectively. The two parts are positioned together in their correct relationship by means of dowel pins 4 located in aligned openings 5 in the two parts of the mould. The two parts are rigidly secured together by a plurality of bolts 6 (see FIG. 6) which extend through openings 6' passing through the two parts of the mould in a direction normal to the length of the mould. The mould has an opening 7 extending therethrough and the surface of the wall(s) defining the opening shapes the casting as it passes through the mould and is known as the mould surface. The cross section of the mould surface normal to its length can be of any convenient form and in the mould illustrated it is of generally square section with rounded comers. The mould is divided along the axis of the mould surface so that each part of the mould body defines half of the mould surface. At the inlet end 8 of the mould the opening 7 is enlarged to form a cavity 9 of generally cylindrical form to accommodate a back plate, an annular graphite ring, and a lubricating device none of which are shown.

When the mould is in use and molten metal is passed therethrough to form a casting it is necessary to liquid cool the mould in order that the mould can extract sufficient heat from the molten metal to cause the metal in contact with the mould surface to solidify and form a skin which contains the metal at a higher temperature constituting its core. The two mould parts 2 and 3 each have provision for liquid cooling of the mould part and the cooling means associated with each part are independent of the other part. In the mould shown in the accompanying drawings, the cooling means associated with each mould part are similar although this is not essential. Each mould part has ,a plurality of passages extending therethrough in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the opening. The passages are spaced apart along the length of the mould and are arranged in groups. Each passage is constituted by at least two interconnecting bores in the mould part from an outer surface thereof. Referring particularly to FIGS. I and 2 the lower mould part 3 has a plurality of bores 120, 12c and 12f extending upwardly from a sidewall 13 towards the mould surface 7. The bores 12a positioned at the inlet end of the mould extend part way into the body of the mould and interconnect'with separate bores 12b extending substantially at right angles thereto and leading into the mould part from a cavity 14 formed in the base surface of the mould part. Further pairs of interconnecting bores (not shown) extend from the cavity 14 to the sidewall 13' of the mould part which is opposite the sidewall 13. Each pair of interconnecting bores 12a and 12b, the cavity 14, and the interconnecting bores linking the cavity with the other sidewall 13 of the mould together form a passage capable of conveying cooling fluid from the sidewall 13 of the mould part to the sidewall which is opposite thereto. The first four bores 12a from the inlet end of the mould are as described above and the next bore towards the outlet end of the mould, 120, (see particularly FIG. 5) is of greater length than the bores 12a extending at right angles thereto and which extend from the cavity 14 in the base surface of the mould. The bore 12d which is closest to the mould surface 7 extends parallel to part of the mould surface and interconnects with a further bore l2e which also extends from the cavity 14 in close parallel relation with part of the mould surface 7. The bore 12e and a further bore (not shown) parallel thereto both interconnect with a bore extending from the sidewall 13 of the mould part. The two bores 12d and De which are closest to the mould surface 7 interconnect at right angles between the cavity 14 and the mould surface. The remaining bores 12 in the lower mould part extend upwardly from the sidewall 13 and interconnect as shown in FIG. 4 with separate bores 12g extending at right angles thereto from the base surface of the mould part. The bores 12g interconnect at right angles with further separate bores 12h which extend from the base surface of the mould part towards the sidewall 13 and each bore 12h interconnects at right angles with a further bore (not shown) extending from the opposite sidewall. The upper mould part 2 is similarly provided with bores l2a-l2f. A manifold is secured to the sidewall 13 of the lower mould part to interconnect the open end of the bores 120, 12c and l2fand similarly a manifold is provided on the sidewall 13' opposite the sidewall 13 to interconnect the bores leading from that sidewall. In this way cooling liquid, usually water, can be fed into the mould part 3 through the manifold on one sidewall thereof and caused to flow through the mould part in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the mould and be collected in the manifold on the opposite sidewall. A base plate, usually of steel, is mounted beneath the base surface of the mould to close off the cavity I4 and the bores 12g and 12h which lead from the base of the mould. Slmilarly a plate 15 is connected to the upper surface of the mould body to block off the cavity 14 therein and the bores leading from the upper surface of the body I so that cooling liquid can be passed from a manifold 16 on one side of the upper mould part through the passages defined by the bores to a further manifold 17 on the opposite sidewall of the mould part.

A mould constructed in accordance with the present invention has the advantage that the cooling liquid enters into the mould body into close proximity with the mould surface to provide adequate cooling of that surface.

A particular advantage of the invention resides in the ability to control the flow of cooling liquid to each mould part separately and it is not necessary for equal quantities of cooling liquid to be supplied to each mould part. Furthermore, if it is found to be desirable to modify the cooling of each part along the length thereof, the flow of cooling liquid through one or more of the passages in the mould part can be restricted or stopped by locating rods or tubes in these passages to modify the cross section of the passage in a manner necessary to determine the required heat transfer conditions.

In use the inlet end of the mould is connected in sealed relation with the outlet of a tundish with the axis of the mould preferably horizontal and withdrawal means are positioned at the outlet end of the mould for withdrawing from the mould a casting produced therein.

1 claim:

1. A mould suitable for use with a continuous casting machine comprising a body of copper having an opening therethrough the wall of which constitutes the mould surface, said body comprising two similar parts each of which is of rectangular form with one surface defining part of the mould surface along the length of the opening, means securing said parts together, each part of the body having a plurality of passages for receiving coolant spaced apart along the length of the opening with each passage extending through the part of the body in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the opening, each passage comprising a pair of first bores extending from the surface opposite that defining said part of the opening, a pair of second bores extending one from each of the other opposite surfaces of the part of the body and interconnecting with said first bores and with the second bores of some of said passages being interconnected inside said body and the first bores constituting the other passages extending into a recess in the surface of the part opposite that defining said opening, a removable cover for said recess, and first and second manifolds secured to said opposite surfaces to interconnect said second bores extending to said surfaces.

2. A mould suitable for use in a continuous casting machine, said mould comprising a body of thermally conductive material having two opposed ends and defining an opening extending from one of said ends to the other, with the surface of said body which surrounds the opening constituting the mould surface,

said body comprising at least two parts, each extending from one of its ends to the other, and each defining part of said mould surface,

each part of the body defining a plurality of passages extending substantially only in a transverse direction with respect to the opening and the passages being spaced apart along the dimension of said body extending between said ends, and

each passage comprising a plurality of axially straight bores extending into part of the body from the outer surface thereof with the bores interconnecting to provide a con tinuous passage for the flow of cooling fluid.

3. A mould as claimed in claim 2 in which the body comprises two similar parts, each defining half of the mould surface, with each of the halves of said mould surface being in the form of a channel in a fiat face of its respective body part and means securing the two parts of the body with the fiat faces in contact.

4. A mould as claimed in claim 3 in which the flat face of each part of the body is parallel to a flat outer face of its respective body part and normal to first and second sidewalls of its respective body part.

5. A mould as claimed in claim 4 in which each passage comprises a pair of interconnected first bores extending from the at outer face of the part, a pair of second bores extending one from each of the sidewalls of the part with each second bore connecting with a first bore internally of the part.

6. A mould as claimed in claim 5 in which those passages positioned at the end of the mould to which molten metal is introduced to the mould have the first pair of bores extending into a recess in the flat outer face of the part of the body and a removable cover enclosing said recess.

l II l l 

1. A mould suitable for use with a continuous casting machine comprising a body of copper having an opening therethrough the wall of which constitutes the mould surface, said body comprising two similar parts each of which is of rectangular form with one surface defining part of the mould surface along the length of the opening, means securing said parts together, each part of the body having a plurality of passages for receiving coolant spaced apart along the length of the opening with each passage extending through the part of the body in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the opening, each passage comprising a pair of first bores extending from the surface opposite that defining said part of the opening, a pair of second bores extending one from each of the other opposite surfaces of the part of the body and interconnecting with said first bores and with the second bores of some of said passages being interconnected inside said body and thE first bores constituting the other passages extending into a recess in the surface of the part opposite that defining said opening, a removable cover for said recess, and first and second manifolds secured to said opposite surfaces to interconnect said second bores extending to said surfaces.
 2. A mould suitable for use in a continuous casting machine, said mould comprising a body of thermally conductive material having two opposed ends and defining an opening extending from one of said ends to the other, with the surface of said body which surrounds the opening constituting the mould surface, said body comprising at least two parts, each extending from one of its ends to the other, and each defining part of said mould surface, each part of the body defining a plurality of passages extending substantially only in a transverse direction with respect to the opening and the passages being spaced apart along the dimension of said body extending between said ends, and each passage comprising a plurality of axially straight bores extending into part of the body from the outer surface thereof with the bores interconnecting to provide a continuous passage for the flow of cooling fluid.
 3. A mould as claimed in claim 2 in which the body comprises two similar parts, each defining half of the mould surface, with each of the halves of said mould surface being in the form of a channel in a flat face of its respective body part and means securing the two parts of the body with the flat faces in contact.
 4. A mould as claimed in claim 3 in which the flat face of each part of the body is parallel to a flat outer face of its respective body part and normal to first and second sidewalls of its respective body part.
 5. A mould as claimed in claim 4 in which each passage comprises a pair of interconnected first bores extending from the flat outer face of the part, a pair of second bores extending one from each of the sidewalls of the part with each second bore connecting with a first bore internally of the part.
 6. A mould as claimed in claim 5 in which those passages positioned at the end of the mould to which molten metal is introduced to the mould have the first pair of bores extending into a recess in the flat outer face of the part of the body and a removable cover enclosing said recess. 